The People's Tribe

[educatedindian]

Probably pretty damned amusing to watch those members of this "tribe" dressed in "full Native dress" in the back of a courtroom.

http://mariettatimes.com/news/story/new11_223200784102.asp
"Tribal ceremonies basis for defense: Watertown man is charged after taking dead hawk
By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.com
Powwows, the circle of life and what it means to walk the red path were argued Thursday in Marietta Municipal Court as a local man with ties to Native American culture fought to avoid a year in jail.
Steve Coulter, aka “White Buffalo,??? 61, of Watertown, is accused of being in possession of two deceased hawks he found lying along area roads last fall. He was in court for a hearing on a motion by his attorney to dismiss the case.
The birds are not endangered, but are still protected by state and federal law. Being in possession of a hawk, owl or eagle is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Coulter, a disabled contractor who was raised Baptist, said he is the leader of a local Native American tribe called “The People’s Nation. He is fighting to have the charges dismissed based on his religious beliefs.
Feathers from the hawks were to be used to make fans that would help lift smoke and prayer during ceremonies, Coulter testified.
“We honor birds in their height — the altitude they can fly,??? he said. “The closer to the creator they are, the stronger the prayer.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Investigator Charlie Stone said a motorist noticed someone pick up a hawk last November along Ohio 550. The individual recorded a license plate number and reported it to wildlife officials.
Stone said special permits are required to possess hawks and other protected animals, even if they are found dead. He said Coulter does not have the required permits, which are extended to individuals on a limited basis. Religious purposes is not among the criteria for issuing a permit.
When Marietta Municipal Court Judge Janet Dyar-Welch asked Coulter to prove his ancestry, he said he is a descendant of the Lenapa and Cherokee tribes, but could not exactly say how.
Coulter’s attorney, Assistant Washington County Public Defender Eric Fowler, argued that the judge’s questioning was not relevant because people are entitled to change their religion, despite their ethnicity or race. Fowler noted movie star Sammy Davis Jr., the son of a black vaudeville star and a Puerto Rican dancer, converted to Judaism after reading Paul Johnson's “A History of the Jews.
In response, Welch asked Coulter if Native American tribes generally accepted people from other faiths. Coulter said “adoption??? was not uncommon.
“There is not a great deal of difference between the Native American way and Christianity,??? Coulter said. “The major difference is that this is a 24/7 adventure and not just when everyone gathers for a meeting.
Seven members of Coulter’s tribe sat in the back of the courtroom in full native dress. Coulter said there are about 100 members in the local tribe, but only about 25 who are active.
Attorneys are expected to file written arguments as a supplement to Thursday’s testimony by March 16. Dyar-Welch will then decide if the case should be dismissed or go to trial."

[Diana]

Here's another article along the same vein.

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414511

Also, go to his web site at www.geocities.com/eaglefeatherlaw.

Sounds like another culture vulture that feels left out. Yeeash!
 

[debbieredbear]

I know the Ray Hardman named in that article. He is a lying sack of feces. He stole the eagle feathers from his EX-wife, my husband's niece. who is a member of the Port Gamble S'Klallam tribe. He attempted to get an elder to lie in federal court saying that he gave the feathers to Ray. He did not. He llied in court claiming he himself was Indian by way of an Indian woman that was married to his great grandfather and he was her descendant. His sister contradicted him on the witness stand saying that the woman in question , one of 3 wives their polygamist great grandfather had, never had children. And he is raising those two S'Klallam children in a white supremacist kind of way.  GRRRRRRR! Husband's niece has not seen those kids in 5 years. A year prior to the scumball being in federal court.

[nahualqo]

The real problem is that we have never organized. The federal and state laws concerning our spiritual practices have been written to exclude Native American spirituality from religious practice. The Dewey Decimal system, that system that organized libraries in all learning institutions places Native American religion or spirituality in the history department and never in religions.

We now have perhaps 500 recognized tribes and anyone that can pass the hurdles of Federal and State Regulations in order to be recognized and ordained as a religious representative among Native Peoples my hat is off to them. What we need is a comprehensive organization that will provide legal protection and attend to individual tribal spritual endemnification needs without predjudice of creed. If we did have an organization that looked after our Spiritual particulars, that could fight unconscienable laws but provide protection from the abuse of scams that have seen exposed on this board. If we take away the financial incentive from abusers then these perpetrators will melt away. Win some lawsuits from an umbrella organization representing all tribes against frauds. We then will not face unjustified abuse of our spiritual ways. The most sad thing is that once Native Peoples choose a mainstream religion, they can easily be ordained in that religion to represent that religion in the midst and against their own people's original beliefs.

[TheRebel]

When Marietta Municipal Court Judge Janet Dyar-Welch asked Coulter to prove his ancestry, he said he is a descendant of the Lenapa and Cherokee tribes, but could not exactly say how.

This judge Janet Dyar-Welch , asked an appropriate question in my opinion.
 Hopefully The Honorable Judge Janet Dyar -Welch will rule against Coulter's plea.

But who knows , this is an issue that is taking place in Ohio, and the state loves to hand out 501(3)(c) not for profit entities to anyone with an identity crisis. Ohio State Goverment is very ignorant and very lazy and plain don't care for Native Issues.

Its time for more real representation from every Sovereign nation in the state of Ohio instead of the overnight groups seeking status as a real Sovereignty.

This whole fiasco from this group makes me ponder whats next from them, a bingo hall , charging 10% of its members income, molestation of children, setting up a mobile meth lab in ones car, applying for A.N.A. funds so the Federally recognised tribes have to compete with them for these funds, having state curators handing over remains to god knows who in these groups because no one wants to take the responsibility. This has been the norm for all the Ohio groups, and as an Ohioian , My voice is NO to these groups here in this state.

If this state cared one inkling about Native issues, it would work closer with the Nations that have cultural and a historical claims to this state. It would open the doors to legitimate Tribes.

This is just not a simple problem with a simple resolution, Like I have stated before the state is ignorant in its dealings with issues like this, and vast majority of Ohios citizens are very ignorant as well. I believe that each and every state in this union along with its citizens has a responsibility to say NO to groups like The peoples nation etc. But at the same time the state will say yes to fraud groups and no to legitimate Nations.